Cardiovascular risk factors attributable to obesity and overweight in Switzerland

Background and aimsObesity increases the risk for cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs), including hypertension, dyslipidaemia and type 2 diabetes. In this study, we assessed the burden of overweight and obesity on CVRFs in Switzerland, using Swiss-specific population attributable fractions (PAFs).Methods and resultsThe number of cases of CVRFs that could have been prevented if the increase in overweight and obesity in Switzerland had been contained was estimated using gender-specific, age- and smoking-adjusted PAFs for overweight and obesity. PAFs were estimated from the Swiss Health Survey 2007 (self-reported) and the CoLaus study (measured) data.PAFs from self-reported were lower than from measured data. Using measured data, overweight and obesity contributed to 38% of hypertension cases in men (32% in women). In men, overweight had a larger impact than obesity (22.2% and 15.6%, respectively), while the opposite was observed for women (13.6% and 18.1%, respectively). In men, 37% of dyslipidaemia (30% in women) could be attributed to overweight and obesity; overweight had a higher contribution than obesity in both sexes. In men, 57% of type 2 diabetes (62% in women) was attributable to overweight and obesity; obesity had a larger impact than overweight in both sexes. Overall, approximately 27,000 cases of type 2 diabetes, 63,000 cases of high blood pressure and 37,000 cases of dyslipidaemia could have been avoided if overweight and obesity levels were maintained at 1992 levels.ConclusionA large proportion of CVRFs is attributable to overweight and/or obesity and could have been prevented by containing the overweight/obesity epidemic.     

中国及各省份人群不同肥胖指标心血管疾病负担比较

探讨我国不同地区由肥胖引起的心血管疾病负担的差异。方法 基于中国高血压调查,随机选取30036名35岁以上研究对象进行随访。使用来自CHS的数据计算全国和省的不同肥胖指标的加权患病率,采用Cox回归分析计算不同肥胖指标全国及分省的心血管疾病校正风险比（Hazard ratio, HR）并估算人群归因百分比（Population attributable fractions, PAFs）。结果：研究纳入325552名CHS参与人群和22793名队列研究人群（平均4.56年的随访,其中1109名参与者发生了至少一次心血管事件）。在全国层面,与正常体重（BMI＜24 Kg/m2）相比,在调整了年龄、教育水平、吸烟、饮酒等多种危险因素后,所有肥胖指标均与CVD风险增加有统计学差异。其中,超重和肥胖的HR分别为正常体重指数的1.18倍（95% CI 1.03~1.34）和1.53倍（95% CI 1.29~1.81）,超重人群心血管疾病的PAFs为6.20%（95% CI 6.16%~6.24%）,肥胖7.08%（95% CI 6.99%~7.17%）;腹型肥胖的HR为1.44 （95% CI 1.27-1.62）,PAFs为13.30%（95% CI 13.21%~13.37%）;体脂率的HR为1.25（95% CI 1.10~1.41）,PAFs为8.99%（95% CI 8.94%~9.04%）;内脏脂肪指数的HR为1.43（95% CI 1.23~1.65）,PAFs为5.14%（95% CI 5.07%~5.21%）。对于各省而言,肥胖的PAFs分布北部和西部省份最高,南部和沿海省份最低。体重指数肥胖的PAFs天津最高为13.31%,海南最低为2.37%;腹型肥胖的PAFs天津最高20.78%,海南最低5.38%。结论：我国心血管疾病很大比例可归因于肥胖。腰围指标较其他肥胖指标心血管疾病PAFs更高,我国北方和经济社会地位较低的省份心血管疾病PAFs显著偏高。     

The Burden of Disease and the Cost of Illness Attributable to Alcohol Drinking—Results of a National Study

Background and Aims: The World Health Organization estimated that 3.2% of the burden of disease around the world is attributable to the consumption of alcohol. The aim of this study is to estimate the burden of disease attributable to alcohol consumption in Portugal. Methods: Burden and costs of diseases attributable to alcohol drinking were estimated based on demographic and health statistics available for 2005, using the Disability‐Adjusted Life Years (DALY) lost generated by death or disability. Results: In Portugal, 3.8% of deaths are attributable to alcohol (4,059 of 107,839). After measuring the DALY generated by mortality data, the proportion of disease attributable to alcohol was 5.0%, with men having 5.6% of deaths and 6.2% of disease burden, while female figures were, respectively, 1.8 and 2.4%. Considering the sum of death and disability DALYs, liver diseases represented the main source of the burden attributable to alcohol with 31.5% of total DALYs, followed by traffic accidents (28.2%) and several types of cancer (19.2%). As for the cost of illness incurred by the health system, our results indicate that €95.1 millions are attributable to alcohol‐related disease admissions (liver diseases, cancer, traffic accidents, and external causes) while the ambulatory costs of alcohol‐related diseases were estimated in €95.9 million, totaling €191.0 million direct costs, representing 0.13% of Gross Domestic Product and 1.25% of total national health expenditures. An alternative analysis was carried out using higher consumption levels so as to replicate aggregate alcohol consumption statistics. In this case, DALYs lost increased by 11.7% and health costs by 23%. Conclusion: Our results confirm that alcohol is an important health risk factor in Portugal and a heavy economic burden for the health system, with hepatic diseases ranking first as a source of burden of disease attributable to alcohol.     

Overweight and obesity as determinants of cardiovascular risk: the Framingham experience

BACKGROUND: To our knowledge, no single investigation concerning the long-term effects of overweight status on the risk for hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular sequelae has been reported. METHODS: Relations between categories of body mass index (BMI), cardiovascular disease risk factors, and vascular disease end points were examined prospectively in Framingham Heart Study participants aged 35 to 75 years, who were followed up to 44 years. The primary outcome was new cardiovascular disease, which included angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease, or stroke. Analyses compared overweight (BMI [calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters], 25.0-29.9) and obese persons (BMI > or =30) to a referent group of normal-weight persons (BMI, 18.5-24.9). RESULTS: The age-adjusted relative risk (RR) for new hypertension was highly associated with overweight status (men: RR, 1.46; women: RR, 1.75). New hypercholesterolemia and diabetes mellitus were less highly associated with excess adiposity. The age-adjusted RR (confidence interval [CI]) for cardiovascular disease was increased among those who were overweight (men: 1.21 [1.05-1.40]; women: 1.20 [1.03-1.41]) and the obese (men: 1.46 [1.20-1.77]; women: 1.64 [1.37-1.98]). High population attributable risks were related to excess weight (BMI > or =25) for the outcomes hypertension (26% men; 28% women), angina pectoris (26% men; 22% women), and coronary heart disease (23% men; 15% women). CONCLUSIONS: The overweight category is associated with increased relative and population attributable risk for hypertension and cardiovascular sequelae. Interventions to reduce adiposity and avoid excess weight may have large effects on the development of risk factors and cardiovascular disease at an individual and population level.     

Impact of Body Mass Index on Obesity-Related Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality; The Japan Collaborative Cohort Study

Aim: We aimed to examine the association of obesity-related cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD) with body mass index (BMI) and the estimated population attributable fraction in lean Asians. Methods: We studied 102,535 participants aged 40–79 years without histories of cancer or CVD at baseline between 1988 and 2009. The cause-specific hazard ratios (csHRs) of BMI categories (＜18.5, 18.5–20.9, 21.0–22.9 [reference], 23.0–24.9, 25.0–27.4, and ≥ 27.5 kg/m²) were estimated for each endpoint. The events considered were mortalities from obesity-related cancer (esophageal, colorectal, liver, pancreatic, kidney, female breast, and endometrial cancer) and those from CVD (coronary heart disease and stroke). Population attributable fractions (PAFs) were calculated for these endpoints. Results: During a 19.2-year median follow-up, 2906 died from obesity-related cancer and 4532 died from CVD. The multivariable-adjusted csHRs (95% confidence interval) of higher BMI categories (25–27.4 and ≥ 27.5 kg/m²) for obesity-related cancer mortality were 0.93 (0.78, 1.10) and 1.18 (0.92, 1.50) in men and 1.25 (1.04, 1.50) and 1.48 (1.19, 1.84) in women, respectively. The corresponding csHRs for CVD mortality were 1.27 (1.10, 1.46) and 1.59 (1.30, 1.95) in men and 1.10 (0.95, 1.28) and 1.44 (1.21, 1.72) in women, respectively. The PAF of a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m² for obesity-related cancer was −0.2% in men and 6.7% in women and that for CVD was 5.0% in men and 4.5% in women. Conclusion: A BMI ≥ 25 kg/m² is associated with an increased risk of obesity-related cancer in women and CVD in both sexes.     

Burden of diabetes mellitus attributable to demographic levels in Qatar: An emerging public health problem

BackgroundDiabetes is one of the main contributors to ill health and premature mortality worldwide and its prevalence has been rising during the last decades.AimThe aim of the present study was to quantify the burden of disease in terms of deaths and loss of healthy life years (DALYs) attributed to diabetes by its demographic levels in the State of Qatar.Materials and methodsThe methods were largely based on the established Global Burden of Disease methodology and use the burden of disease in terms of disability adjusted life years (DALYs) and the years lost due to disability (YLD) as the outcome measure. We calculated years lost due to disability (YLD) and years life lost (YLL) attributable to diabetes. The study was conducted during the period from June 2013 to January 2014.ResultsThe study findings revealed that disability adjusted life years (DALYs) has been increasing across the years and reached to 4.35 in 2011 from 2.58 in 2007. DALYs for men was remarkably higher than women during the period (2007–2011). Diabetes mellitus was the 6th leading cause of disease burden in Qatar (3.8%). The YLD showed a sharp increase in men (2.52 in 2011 from 1.34 in 2007) and women (1.05 in 2011 from 0.33 in 2007) during the year 2011. YLL portion of women enlarged considerably in 2011 (0.10) compared to 2010 (0.04). YLL for men and women was fluctuating across the years with a decrease in 2011 (18%) from 2007 (35%). Men and women in the age group 30–44 years had the highest peak across the years.ConclusionThe study findings revealed that diabetes disease burden was considerably high in Qatar, particularly in the working age group. DALYs has been increasing across the years.     

Impact of overweight on the risk of developing common chronic diseases during a 10-year period.

BACKGROUND: Overweight adults are at an increased risk of developing numerous chronic diseases. METHODS: Ten-year follow-up (1986-1996) of middle-aged women in the Nurses' Health Study and men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study to assess the health risks associated with overweight. RESULTS: The risk of developing diabetes, gallstones, hypertension, heart disease, and stroke increased with severity of overweight among both women and men. Compared with their same-sex peers with a body mass index (BMI) (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) between 18.5 and 24.9, those with BMI of 35.0 or more were approximately 20 times more likely to develop diabetes (relative risk [RR], 17.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 14.2-20.5 for women; RR, 23.4; 95% CI, 19.4-33.2 for men). Women who were overweight but not obese (ie, BMI between 25.0 and 29.9) were also significantly more likely than their leaner peers to develop gallstones (RR, 1.9), hypertension (RR, 1.7), high cholesterol level (RR, 1.1), and heart disease (RR, 1.4). The results were similar in men. CONCLUSIONS: During 10 years of follow-up, the incidence of diabetes, gallstones, hypertension, heart disease, colon cancer, and stroke (men only) increased with degree of overweight in both men and women. Adults who were overweight but not obese (ie, 25.0 < or = BMI < or = 29.9) were at significantly increased risk of developing numerous health conditions. Moreover, the dose-response relationship between BMI and the risk of developing chronic diseases was evident even among adults in the upper half of the healthy weight range (ie, BMI of 22.0-24.9), suggesting that adults should try to maintain a BMI between 18.5 and 21.9 to minimize their risk of disease.     

Obesity and colorectal cancer risk： A meta-analysis of cohort studies

TO evaluate the association between obesity and colorectal cancer risk. METHODS： We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library up to January 1, 2007. Cohort studies permitting the assessment of causal association between obesity and colorectal cancer, with clear definition of obesity and well-defined outcome of colorectal cancer were eligible. Study design, sample size at baseline, mean follow-up time, co-activators and study results were extracted. Pooled standardized effect sizes were calculated.     

Overweight and obesity and the burden of disease and disability in elderly men

OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of disease burden and disability associated with overweight and obesity in men aged 60-79 y and to assess whether the current WHO weight guidelines are appropriate in the elderly. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey 20 y after enrollment. SETTING: General practices in 24 British towns. PARTICIPANTS: In total, 4232 men aged 60-79 y (77% of survivors) with measured weight and height. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, prevalence of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, disability and regular medication. RESULTS: In total, 17% of the men were obese (body mass index (BMI) >/=30 kg/m(2)) and a further 52% were overweight (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m(2)). Prevalence of hypertension, low HDL-cholesterol, high triglycerides and insulin resistance and the prevalence of most disease outcomes increased with increasing degrees of overweight/obesity. Men in the normal weight range (18.5-24.9 kg/m(2)) had the lowest prevalence of ill health. Compared with normal weight men, obese men showed a two-fold risk of major CVD (odds ratio (OR)=1.96, 95% CI 1.44-2.67) and locomotor disability (OR=2.26, 95% CI 1.66, 3.09) and were nearly three times as likely to have diabetes, CV interventions or to be on CV medication. Over 60% of the prevalence of high insulin resistance was attributable to overweight and obesity as was over a third of diabetes and hypertension, a quarter of locomotor disability and a fifth of major CVD. CONCLUSION: In elderly men, overweight and obesity are associated with a significantly increased burden of disease, in particular CV-related disorders and disability. The current guidelines for overweight and obesity appear to be appropriate in elderly men.     

Hypertension: its prevalence and population-attributable fraction for mortality from cardiovascular disease in the Asia-Pacific region

OBJECTIVE: About half of the world's burden of cardiovascular disease is carried by countries in the Asia-Pacific region. This study aimed to quantify the contribution of hypertension to cardiovascular diseases (CVD) at the country level, by calculating the sex-specific, population-attributable fractions (PAFs) for fatal ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke (haemorrhagic and ischaemic) for the World Health Organization Western Pacific and South-east Asian regions. METHODS: The most recent sex-specific prevalence data on hypertension were sought. Age-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) estimates for fatal IHD and stroke associated with hypertension were obtained using Cox analyses of individual participant cohort data from 600,000 adult participants in the Asia-Pacific Cohort Studies Collaboration. HR estimates and prevalence were then used to calculate sex-specific PAFs for fatal IHD and stroke, by country. RESULTS: In 15 countries with available data, the prevalence of hypertension ranged from 5-47% in men and from 7-38% in women. Overall, the fraction of IHD attributable to hypertension ranged from 4-28% in men and from 8-39% in women. Corresponding ranges for haemorrhagic stroke were 18-66% and 15-49%, and for ischaemic stroke were 8-44% and 12-45%. CONCLUSIONS: In the Asia-Pacific region, up to 66% of some subtypes of CVD can be attributed to hypertension, underscoring the immense impact that blood pressure- lowering strategies could have in this populous region.     

上海某社区中老年人群超重与肥胖的现况调查

目的:了解上海社区中老年人超重和肥胖的患病情况以及肥胖相关疾病的患病风险。方法:在上海市嘉定区40岁及以上居民中进行问卷调查、体格检查及生化检测,对其中数据完整的10 375名居民进行统计分析。根据体质量指数(BMI),按照WHO标准界定肥胖和超重者。采用线性回归法分析BMI与一些危险因素的相关性,并采用Logistic回归法分析超重以及肥胖状态对于各种代谢相关性疾病患病风险的影响。结果:本研究人群的BMI均值为25.1±3.3,超重和肥胖的患病率分别为42.92%和7.27%;多元线性回归分析显示:校正多种混杂因素后,随着BMI水平的上升,腰围、收缩压、舒张压、空腹血糖、餐后2 h血糖、总胆固醇、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇、三酰甘油随之增加(均P<0.01),高密度脂蛋白胆固醇随之下降(P     

Impact of obesity on long-term prognosis following acute myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of obesity on mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction. METHODS: This study comprises 6676 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction screened for entry into the Danish Trandolapril Cardiac Evaluation (TRACE) study. At baseline, body mass index (BMI) and waist to hip ratio (WHR) were measured. Survival status was determined after 8-10 years. RESULTS: BMI was used to divide patients into 4 groups: underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese. The normal weight group was used as reference for the other groups. WHR was divided in quartiles and the lowest quartile was used as reference for the three other quartiles. The prevalence of overweight (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m(2)) and obesity (BMI>30 kg/m(2)) were 48% and 13% in males and 31% and 13% in females. Obese patients were younger, less often smokers and more frequently suffered from diabetes and hypertension. In both men and women, there was no association between obesity assessed as BMI and mortality [men: adjusted RR=0.99 (0.85-1.14, p=0.3); women: adjusted RR=0.90 (0.74-1.10, p=0.2)]. Men with WHR in the upper quartile had an increased mortality [adjusted RR=1.21 (1.07-1.37, p<0.01)]. Increasing WHR in women showed a trend of increased mortality, although this was not significant [adjusted RR=1.13 (0.95-1.34, p=0.2)]. CONCLUSION: In patients with acute myocardial infarction overall obesity as assessed by body mass index is inversely related to mortality. However, abdominal obesity appears to be an independent predictor of all-cause mortality in men and perhaps also in women.     

Is China facing an obesity epidemic and the consequences? The trends in obesity and chronic disease in China

BACKGROUND: Over the past two decades, China has enjoyed impressive economic development, and her citizens have experienced many remarked changes in their lifestyle. These changes are often associated with an increase in obesity and chronic disease. METHODS: In this meta-analysis, based on nationally representative data, we studied the current prevalence of obesity and the trends in obesity, mortality and morbidity in China. RESULTS: Between 1992 and 2002, the prevalence of overweight and obesity increased in all gender and age groups and in all geographic areas. Using the World Health Organization body mass index cut points, the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity increased from 14.6 to 21.8%. The Chinese obesity standard shows an increase from 20.0 to 29.9%. The annual increase rate was highest in men aged 18-44 years and women aged 45-59 years (approximately 1.6 and 1.0% points, respectively). In general, male subjects, urban residents, and high-income groups had a greater increase. With the increase in overweight and obesity, obesity-, and diet-related chronic diseases (e.g., hypertension, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and type 2 diabetes) also increased over the past decade and became a more important preventable cause of death. Hypertension increased from 14.4% in 1991 to 18.8% in 2002 in adults; in older adults aged 35-74 years, it increased from 19.7 to 28.6%. Between 1993 and 2003, the prevalence of CVD increased from 31.4 to 50.0%; diabetes increased from 1.9 to 5.6%. During 1990-2003, although total mortality rate (per 100 000) decreased, overall the mortality rate and contribution (as percentages) to total death of obesity-related chronic disease increased, in particular, in rural areas. Mortality rate (per 100 000) of CVD increased from 128 to 145 and its contribution to total death, 27 to 32%, in rural areas; the figures decreased slightly in urban areas. The mortality rate of 'nutrition, endocrinology and metabolism-related disease' (NEMD) increased in both rural and urban areas between 1990 and 2000, 8.0 to 10.6 and 4.9 to 5.3, respectively. The current prevalence of hypertension, dyslipidaemia, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes among Chinese adults is approximately 20, 20, 15, and 3%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of overweight and obesity and obesity-related chronic diseases have increased in China in the past decade. Our findings provide useful information for the projection of future trends and the formulation of national strategies and programmes that can address the challenges of the growing obesity and chronic disease epidemic.     

1990—2019年我国主要人体寄生虫病疾病负担变化趋势研究

目的　掌握1990—2019年我国主要人体寄生虫病疾病负担时间变化趋势,为完善寄生虫病防治策略提供参考。方法　在2019全球疾病负担研究（global burden of disease study 2019,GBD 2019）数据中,提取1990—2019年我国疟疾、肠道线虫感染、血吸虫病、食源性吸虫病、囊尾蚴病和棘球蚴病等寄生虫病伤残调整寿命年（disability⁃adjusted life years,DALYs）,对其DALYs从大到小进行排序,并描述年龄和性别分布。使用Joinpoint回归模型分析各病种DALYs平均年度变化百分比（average annual percent change,AAPC）。结果　2019年我国主要人体寄生虫病DALYs由大到小依次为：食源性吸虫病（643 836.42人·年）、囊尾蚴病（156 853.03人·年）、血吸虫病（79 764.62人·年）、肠道线虫感染（70 989.73人·年）、棘球蚴病（4 258.61人·年）和疟疾（264.86人·年）,男性DALYs（546 441.93人·年）高于女性（409 525.33人·年）,青壮年（14～65岁,684 780.84人年）高于儿童（≤ 14岁,35 437.38人·年）和老年（≥ 65岁,235 749.04人·年）。1990—2019年,我国食源性吸虫病DALYs在6种寄生虫病中一直居首位,囊尾蚴病由1990年的第4位上升至2019年的第2位,肠道线虫感染则由1990年的第2位下降至2019年的第4位。1990—2019年,我国主要人体寄生虫病DALYs总体呈下降趋势,疟疾DALYs下降速度最快（AAPC = -19.6%,P = 0.003）,其次是肠道线虫感染（AAPC = -8.2%,P < 0.001）和血吸虫病（AAPC = -3.1%,P < 0.001）,食源性吸虫病DALYs下降趋势较缓（AAPC = -1.0%,P < 0.001）,棘球蚴病DALYs下降不明显（AAPC = -0.5%,P = 0.264）,囊尾蚴病DALYs呈增长趋势（AAPC = 0.7%,P < 0.001）。结论　1990—2019年,我国血吸虫病、肠道线虫感染与疟疾等重点寄生虫病疾病负担显著降低,食源性寄生虫病疾病负担较高,棘球蚴病疾病负担下降不明显,囊尾蚴病疾病负担有上升趋势。建议我国以棘球蚴病防控为重点,在继续巩固其他重点寄生虫病防治成果的同时,加强食源性寄生虫病的监测和预防。     

The burden of adult obesity in Canada

Obesity is a major public health problem associated with a wide range of health problems. This study estimates the prevalence of obesity, calculates the proportion (or population-attributable fraction [PAF]) of major chronic diseases which is attributable to obesity, estimates the deaths attributable to it and projects its future prevalence trends. In Canada, the overall age-standardized prevalence proportion of obesity has increased from 10 percent in 1970 to 23% in 2004 (8 percent to 23 percent in men and 13 percent to 22 percent in women). The increasing prevalence of obesity was observed for all five age groups examined: 20-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64 and 65+. On average, the PAF of prevalence of selected major chronic diseases which is attributable to obesity from 1970 to 2004 has increased by 138 percent for men and by 60 percent for women. Overall, in 2004, 45 percent of hypertension, 39 percent of type II diabetes, 35 percent of gallbladder disease, 23 percent of coronary artery diseases (CAD), 19 percent of osteoarthritis, 11 percent of stroke, 22 percent of endometrial cancer, 12 percent of postmenopausal breast cancer, and 10 percent of colon cancer could be attributed to obesity. In 2004, 8,414 (95 percent CI: 6,881-9,927) deaths were attributable to obesity. If current obesity prevalence trends remain unchanged, the prevalence proportion of obesity in Canada is projected to reach 27 percent in men and 24 percent in women by the year 2010. These increases will have a profound impact on the treatment needs and prevalence of a wide variety of chronic diseases, and also on the health care system in terms of capacity issues and resource allocation.     

Sex differences in the relationships between BMI, WHR and incidence of cardiovascular disease: a population-based cohort study

OBJECTIVE: Body mass index (BMI) is associated with increased incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the risk could be very different for individuals with the same body mass. The present study explored whether regional fat distribution, as measured by waist-hip ratio (WHR), could modify the impact of BMI on the risk of CVD in men and women. DESIGN: Prospective population-based study. SUBJECTS: A total of 10 369 men and 16 638 women, 45-73 years old, from general population in Malm?, Sweden.Measurements:All subjects were followed over 7 years for the incidences of first-ever cardiac event (CE) and ischemic stroke in relation to BMI category (<25.0, 25.0-29.9, > or =30.0) and WHR. RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 39.4 and 13.0%, respectively. During follow-up, 1280 subjects suffered a CVD event (750 CE, 530 ischemic stroke). The risk of CVD in women increased with increasing levels of WHR, irrespective of BMI category. In men, WHR (per 1 s.d. increase) was associated with increased incidence of CVD in those with normal weight (relative risk (RR)=1.24; 95% CI: 1.13-1.37) after adjustments for confounding factors. However, WHR was not related to CVD in overweight men (RR=1.06; 95%CI: 0.94-1.20) or obese men (RR=1.04; 95%CI: 0.87-1.24). A significant interaction was observed between sex and WHR on the CVD risk. CONCLUSION: The effect of WHR on incidence of CVD is modified by the overall body weight and by gender. WHR adds prognostic information on the cardiovascular risk in women at all levels of BMI, and in men with normal weight.     

Global cardiovascular diseases burden attributable to high sodium intake from 1990 to 2019

Sodium intake shows a positive correlation with blood pressure, resulting in an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Salt reduction is a key step toward the WHO's goal of 25% reduction in mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by 2025. This study aims to assess the current condition and temporal changes of the global CVD burden due to high sodium intake (HSI). We extracted data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study 2019. The numbers and age-standardized rates of mortality and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), stratified by location, sex, and socio-demographic Index (SDI), were used to assess the high sodium intake attributable CVD burden from 1990 to 2019. The relationship between the DALYs rates and related factors was evaluated by stepwise multiple linear regression analysis. Globally, in 2019, the deaths and DALYs of HSI-related CVD were 1.72 million and 40.54 million, respectively, increasing by 41.08% and 33.06% from 1990. Meanwhile, the corresponding mortality and DALYs rates dropped by 35.1% and 35.2%, respectively. The high-middle and middle SDI quintiles bore almost two-thirds of CVD burden caused by HSI. And the leading cause of HSI attributable CVD burden was ischemic heart disease. Universal health coverage (UHC) was associated with the DALYs rates after adjustment. From 1990 to 2019, the global CVD burden attributable to HSI has declined with spatiotemporal and sexual heterogeneity. However, it remains a major public health challenge because of the increasing absolute numbers. Improving UHC serves as an effective strategy to reduce the HSI-related CVD burden.     

Burden of disease from hypercholesterolemia in Portugal.

Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of death in Portugal, in developed countries and indeed, worldwide. Hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor for these diseases. What are the potential health gains to be obtained by reducing the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia in the Portuguese population? How are they to be estimated and quantified? Studies of the burden of disease aim to measure and evaluate the impact of a disease or group of diseases on overall levels of health. Although they do not strictly speaking constitute an economic evaluation, since no specific interventions are analyzed, burden of disease studies do provide an accurate picture of a specific health problem and its magnitude, as well as an indication of changes in health policy and in preventive or corrective measures that might lead to improvement. This paper reports the results of a study of the disease burden of hypercholesterolemia in Portugal, calibrated for data from the year 2000. In this study, the disease burden is estimated as the component attributable to hypercholesterolemia in DALYs (disability-adjusted life years). DALYs are a measure used by international organizations such as the World Health Organization and the World Bank.     

Burden of Chronic Viral Hepatitis and Liver Cirrhosis in Brazil - the Brazilian Global Burden of Disease Study

Introduction and aimData on epidemiology of liver diseases in Brazil is scarce. This study aimed to estimate the burden of chronic viral hepatitis and liver cirrhosis in the country.Materials and MethodsThe indicator used was disability-adjusted life year (DALY), a sum of years of life lost due to premature mortality (YLL) and years lived with disability (YLD). Liver cirrhosis was analyzed in etiologic categories and cirrhosis of viral origin was considered part of the burden of chronic hepatitis.ResultsThere were 57,380 DALYs (30.3 per 100,000 inhabitants) attributable to chronic hepatitis B and cirrhosis due to hepatitis B, with 41,262 DALYs in men. Most burden was caused by YLL (47,015 or 24.8/100,000) rather than YLD (10,365 or 5.5/100,000). Chronic hepatitis C and cirrhosis due to hepatitis C were responsible for 207,747 DALYs (109.6/100,000), of which 137,922 were YLL (72.7/100,000) and 69,825 (36.8/100,000) were YLD, with a higher proportion of DALYs in men (73.9%). Cirrhosis due to alcohol or other causes had a total of 536,169 DALYs (1,4% of total DALYs in Brazil), with 418,272 YLL (341,140 in men) and 117,897 YLD (97,965 in men). Highest DALYs’ rates occurred at ages 60-69 in chronic hepatitis and at ages 45-59 in cirrhosis due to alcohol or other causes.ConclusionChronic viral hepatitis and liver cirrhosis are responsible for a significant burden in Brazil, affecting mainly men and individuals still in their productive years. Most burden is related to non-viral causes of cirrhosis, with a major contribution of alcohol.